


Chemistry are for nerds and people secretly in love

by StrawberryLane



Series: Seven minutes in heaven [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Crushes, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Road Trips, Talking, Teen Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryLane/pseuds/StrawberryLane
Summary: Bucky, because he’s used to how mulish Steve Rogers can be, decides to just shrug it off. “Do we have any of that noodle salad left?” he asks, completely ignoring the way the other man is giving him the silent treatment.“C’mon, Pete,” he says, gesturing for Peter to follow him into the kitchen and away from the disapproving, hovering pile of angry eyebrows that is Captain America. “Let me feed you the best noodle and chicken salad ever made.”Bucky will maintain to his death bed he hasn’t done anything wrong. (Peter doesn't even like him like that, for goodness sake. Don't be absurd).





	Chemistry are for nerds and people secretly in love

**Author's Note:**

> So, I had a bit of a difficult time writing this and have found I vastly prefer writing this series from an outsiders point of view. It's just easier, somehow.

So, things are not going great at the Stucky camp at the moment. Peter may or may not feel a little guilty – after all, he was the one who asked Bucky to pretend to be his boyfriend in front of his classmates. Though – and it has to be said – Bucky could have easily have refused, something the man himself has pointed out numerous times. But still. Peter feels guilty for kind of having ruined the friendship between his biggest hero and his crush.

 

“Don’t you dare feel guilty,” Bucky tells him when they meet up for their usual Wednesday training session. “I could have just told him in the first place and none of this would’ve happened. This is not on you.”

 

“Yeah, but-”

 

“No. I have explained to him how we’re not actually in a relationship and sooner or later I’m gonna get through to him and then everything will return to normal. Now, you’re here for boxing, right?”

 

Peter nods. Yeah, he’s here to spend an hour or two getting sweaty and achy muscles and not in the way he wants to.

 

“Trust me,” says Bucky, misunderstanding Peter’s mood. “Stevie will come around. I’ve known the boy since I was six and I know him better than anybody else alive in the world.”

 

*

Steve is very polite to Peter when Bucky invites the boy back to his and Steve’s shared Avengers compound apartment after training. In fact, he doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the sight of a newly showered Spider man hesitantly entering the living room.

 

The same cannot be said for Bucky. Bucky, though, because he’s used to how mulish Steve Rogers can be, decides to just shrug it off. “Do we have any of that noodle salad left?” he asks, completely ignoring the way the other man is giving him the silent treatment.

 

“C’mon, Pete,” he says, gesturing for Peter to follow him into the kitchen and away from the disapproving, hovering pile of angry eyebrows that is Captain America. “Let me feed you the best noodle and chicken salad ever made.”

 

“I, uh, shouldn’t I try to explain?” half-whispers Peter, nodding towards Steve, who’s pretending he can’t hear them just fine. Bucky shrugs. “If you want to. We’ve already done that once, though, and that went really great.”

 

The GYM FIASCO (and yes, that should always be in all caps) had been a disaster from beginning to end. Steve had given Bucky the scolding of his lifetime and then, when he’d calmed down enough to scold Peter in a slightly less purple-face-way, Bucky had returned the favor with vengeance. Their shouting match had gone on for well over two hours and then been replaced with stony silence – at least on Steve’s end, because Bucky will maintain to his death bed he hasn’t done anything wrong.

 

Not when it comes to Peter Parker, anyway. Peter doesn't even like him like that, for goodness sake.

 

*

 

Homemade chicken noodle salad with lime dressing. Somehow, that’s not really what Peter envisioned the Winter Soldier and Captain America ever eating. He’d figured it be more along the lines of boiled potatoes and chicken without any seasoning and broccoli.

 

The salad is really good, though.

 

Steve emerges from the living room in time to get a plate of leftover salad, and Peter doesn’t think he imagines the knowing smirk that graces Bucky’s lips the moment the captain steps through the door.

 

“Want some?”

 

Steve just nods, wordlessly accepting the plate Bucky hands him. It’s piled high with noodles, chunks of peanut-and-lime marinated chicken and green spring onions. Peter steels himself when Steve doesn’t actually leave the room as quickly as he showed up, but instead takes a seat next to Peter and his spread out homework.

 

“You working?” Steve mumbles, stuffing his face.

 

Peter nods. “Yeah, I’ve got this chemistry test tomorrow and Bucky insisted I’d get some last minute revision in.”

 

At that, Steve’s eyes flicker to Bucky, who’s standing with his back to them, elbows deep in the murky dishwater.

“Huh,” Steve says slowly, swirling noodles on his fork. He doesn’t elaborate and Peter decides not to pressure him on it.

 

*

 

“So, that wasn’t as horrible as you thought it was going to be, now was it?” asks Bucky as Peter climbs off the motorbike on shaky legs outside of May’s apartment.

 

Peter shakes his head. “That was awesome!” he exclaims and Bucky laughs.

 

“Can we go again? Please?”

 

“Sure,” says Bucky, grinning. “Tell you what, if the weather’s nice and you have no plans this weekend, I’ll pick you up and we’ll go to Montauk or somewhere for the day. My treat. If you, uh, want to?”

 

Peter nods, trying not to appear too eager. “Yeah, I’d love to. I mean, if you have no other plans?”

 

“I have all the free time in the world, kiddo,” Bucky says and Peter tries not to let the ‘kiddo’ statement get to him. Of course he’s just a kid to Bucky (and the rest of the world) but still. It stings. And the stinging got nothing to do with the fact that he has a crush the size of Mount Everest on James Buchanan Barnes. Of course it doesn’t.

 

Absolutely not.

 

“Well, I’ll see you on the weekend then,” says Bucky, starting up the bike. “I’ll call you, okay?”

 

“Okay. Uh, bye,” manages Peter, along with a pathetic little wave he hopes Bucky doesn’t actually see.

*

 

“Who was that?” asks May from where she’s standing next to the window, peering through the curtains as Peter walks through the door and tosses his keys on the little table beneath the mirror.

 

Peter stumbles, trying not to look like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh, Bucky Barnes?”

 

May squints. “Bucky Barnes, where do I know him from?”

 

“He’s, uh, Captain America’s best friend? And, uh, the Winter Soldier?”

 

“Oh, that’s right. Did he drive you home?”

 

“Yeah. I mean, I forgot the time and he offered to drive me so I wouldn’t have to catch a train and a bus or a taxi, since the, uh, facility is kinda far off.”

 

“That was nice of him. Would you like a cup of tea or a snack before bed? Tomorrow’s the big day, isn’t it? The test?”

 

*

 

It takes them about two and a half hours to get to Montauk Point Light, which is about two and a half hours too many for Peter to sit pressed closed to Bucky’s back. It’s not good for his crush to sit that close to the man, he concludes. It only causes the crushing to intensify and Peter’s not sure he wants it too. It’s already too much, too close. He feels like he will open his mouth and say something stupid without consulting his brain first. He seems to do that a lot around Bucky.

 

Bucky’s brought a whole picnic, complete with a checkered blanket. They find a secluded spot with a nice view of both the ocean and the lighthouse and tuck in. There’s sandwiches with mayo, eggs and cheese, sandwiches with ham and cheese, pasta salad with tomatoes and kale, a whole blueberry pie and not one, but two, boxes of donuts.

 

“You’re a growing boy and I need to eat my weight every day to be able to carry this around,” says Bucky as a way of explanation, pointing at his metal arm. “Here’s to acing that chemistry test, genius boy,” he adds, clinking his bottle of coke against Peter’s.

 

“So, uh, how’s Steve?” asks Peter a little while later, once they’ve finished eating and are strolling along the water, soaking up the sun. It’s September and while it’s still warm and sunny, there’s not an overwhelming amount of people on the beach. It’s nice.

 

“Steve’s great. I think he’s starting to loosen up a little. Doesn’t glare at me every time I walk into a room. I call that progress.”

 

“That’s good. I really hope I haven’t ruined-”

 

“You haven’t ruined anything. Steve’s just stubborn as hell. C’mon, let’s just sit here for a while and enjoy the sunshine.”

 

They sit down on top of a low stone wall, basking in the warm sunshine and the calm sound of the waves crashing against the beach. It’s nice like this, thinks Peter, Bucky’s leg pressed close to his. It’s a little awkward sure, but mostly nice.

 

*

“Hey, do you- I mean, I had a really good time today,” says Bucky when he drops Peter off outside Peter’s building.

 

Peter beams. “Me too!” he says, because Bucky seems like he needs to hear that. And it’s not like it’s not true, either. Peter had a really good time today and the Point Light museum was really cool.

 

And Bucky, he’s really cool too. And a genuinely nice guy. He treats Peter like he’s a person instead of a kid, like someone who’s opinions and ideas are worth listening to. It’s a confidence boast, that’s for sure.

 

“Do you maybe want to do it again some time? Hang out, just you and me?”

 

Bucky suddenly seem smaller, shyer, than Peter’s ever seen him. For all the time Peter’s known him, Bucky has seemed like confidence itself, if somewhat confused about the way the world works these days. It’s weird, seeing him like this. Like he’s nervous, almost.

 

“Yeah,” Peter says, “I’d love too.”

 

Bucky’s answering smile looks like it could singlehandedly light up New York City all on its own. Peter melts a little at the sight of it.

 

Oh God, he thinks, what on earth has he gotten himself into? This crush is gonna break his heart into a thousand pieces.

 

_Fuck_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it! :-)


End file.
